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ALLAHABAD, INDIA, JANUARY 14, 2007: Braving biting cold, more than four million devotees took a holy dip in the sacred waters of Sangam, the confluence of holy river Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in Ardh Kumbh. Makar Sankranti, the day when the sun enters into Capricorn, is an auspicious festival for Hindus who take holy dip in the river Ganga. The festival will be celebrated for two days. About 3.5 million more pilgrims are expected to take bath till Monday. Makar Sankranti would also be marked as the first of the four Shahi Snans (Royal Bath) during the month-long Ardh Kumbh mela — Mauni Amvaasya (Jan 19), Basant Panchami (Jan 23) and Mahasivratri (Feb 15). The devotees started coming to the mela area since early morning and the bathing will continue untill evening. As many as 32 bathing ghats have been set up by the Mela administration for pilgrims drawn from every nook and corner of India. Elaborate security arrangements had been made in and around Mela area in view of the apprehension of a terrorist strike during the Mela. Over 90 million pilgrims are expected to visit Mela which commenced on 3 January 3 to be concluded on February 16, Mahashivratri day. The bathing was conducted smoothly and no untowards incident was reported from anywhere in the Mela area, the Mela Officer Pragyan Ram Mishra and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajiv Sabharwal said.

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